Five people, including a 14-year-old girl, took police on a whirlwind chase through Penrith in the early hours of Sunday morning, in a car stolen during a Cranebrook home invasion.
At about 3.30am on Sunday, March 30, four people, one a child, were asleep in their Cranebrook home on Bluebird Road when awoken by suspicious noises.
A group of youths and an 18-year-old male had attended the property – three gained entry to the home, while two others remained outside.
A number of items were stolen from inside the home and in a bid to make a quick getaway, all five offenders left in a silver Audi, also stolen during the break and enter.
The offenders then attended a nearby service station, where they used a debit card stolen from the home to purchase drinks.
Not long after, the vehicle was observed by Penrith Local Area Command officers on Castlereagh Road, Penrith.
When police indicated for the vehicle to stop, it drove off at a high speed.
“A pursuit was engaged, with speeds reaching 120km/h. The young person drove the vehicle onto the other side of the road and breached numerous other traffic laws,” said Penrith Local Area Command Acting Crime Manager, Cheryl Cook.
As the car was approaching the intersection of Russell Street and Old Bathurst Road, Emu Plains, it struck tyre deflation devices, used by police to stop the vehicle.
“The vehicle came to a stop at the Great Western Highway and the driver, and four occupants ran from police,” Inspector Cook said.
Police pursued the people on foot, capturing four after a short chase and arresting the 17-year-old driver just 45 minutes later.
“This was a great result for local police,” Inspector Cook said.
The driver, a 17-year-old from Cranebrook, was charged with ‘aggravated break and enter’, ‘take and drive conveyance without consent’, ‘drive recklessly in a manner dangerous’, and other traffic related incidents.
He was refused bail and appeared in court the following day.
An 18-year-old Cranebrook man was also refused bail and appeared in court on Monday after being charged with ‘aggravated break and enter’, ‘enter enclosed lands’, ‘be carried in conveyance without consent’ and ‘breach of bail’.
A 17-year-old male was charged with ‘aggravated break and enter’ and ‘be carried in conveyance without consent’. A 14-year-old female was charged with ‘aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence’, ‘be carried in conveyance without consent’ and two counts of ‘goods in custody’.
The final offender, a 15-year-old male, is expected to be charged at a later date.
